The week I realised I was ‘old’

It all started a few months ago. I was chatting to a 24year old and she innocently asked how old I was. I froze. It occurred to me that when I was 24, anything over 30 just sounded old. Yet there I was, the ripe old age of 36. (Actually if we are being honest, I had to pause to mentally calculate how old I was, because who keeps track after thirty?) You see, when I look out, I don’t see me. So it’s easy to fool myself that I still look, oh I don’t know, 27?? And I’ve always been ‘blessed’ with looking much younger than I was.

Way back in High School, I think it was year 10, I was out with my first boyfriend and a lady innocently commented to him that he was so sweet to take his little sister out with him. Yeah, contrary to popular belief, looking younger isn’t always a blessing. It certainly didn’t help my cause that I was the second shortest in my year and he was really quite tall. I think my height, or lack of it, has probably been a large part of why I’ve always looked younger. That and good genes. Another amusing (?) story: When I was 22yrs old, I was at the video store with my girlfriends and a rather handsome guy gave me his phone number. Don’t get me wrong, a handsome guy giving you his number is always flattering. But then he joined his friends and that was when we noticed they were all in school uniform… Yes that good-looking guy was still in school, making him at least four years younger than me. Nowadays, four years wouldn’t bother me, but back in your early twenties – it seemed like an insurmountable divide. This trend continued. Until recently.

Do you think I look 32 years old in this picture? That’s how old I was when it was taken.

I’m not telling you these stories to boast, but rather so you can understand my mindset and where I’m coming from. For me, 30 years of age has always been the clincher. Until recently, I always seemed to easily pass for much younger than myself and always younger than 30. Until recently, I couldn’t understand why people had such an issue with aging gracefully. But then 5 things happened that gave me pause to realise I was a complete hypocrite;

1. The affor mentioned conversation with 24yr old who gave me that “OMG you’re old” look when I revealed my age.

2. Another (incredibly funny) 20 something year old, who I follow on Twitter, writes these snappy tweets… and I have to google their meaning. A lot. I know! I’ve turned into my mum. I’ve completely lost my grasp with all the cool, hipster language.

3. I realised I still use the word cool and have no clue if it’s still ‘cool’ to use the word cool.

4. I was out one night, with a single girlfriend of mine, and instead of having the 20-30year old guys notice us, it was the guys much closer to 50 who were giving us the looks of approval. Hmmm.

5. The big undeniable, you a getting old and can’t deny it – I discovered I had some grey hair. Completely gobsmacked by this discovery, I immediately text my best girlfriend. How on earth could this be happening? She quickly informed me, in that blunt honesty that all best girlfriends use, that she’s been dying her hair for years. Oh…

So it has occurred to me that I’ve reached that divide where I now have more in common with my mother, than I do with someone only ten years younger than me. I have reached that point where I might actually be turning into my mother. I’m also considering colouring my hair. Seriously, the wrinkles I could deal with but I draw the line at grey hair. Grey hair just seems a little too real. I can’t possibly be that old… yet.

Hahahaha. I hadn’t even thought of eyebrows! You’ve just opened up a whole other level! Can you dye your eyebrows? What happens if you colour your hair but your eyebrows go?? All these things I haven’t thought of!

Eep! I started getting greys in my mid-20s and have been dying my hair ever since. It occurred to me recently that my husband has never seen my real hair color!
I also don’t know any current references, and I’m also clueless as to any movie stars who have starred in something in at least the last five years. I’d say I’m turning into my mother, but I think my mother is more hip than I am!

This was so funny! At 37, I’ve also reached the point of acknowledging I’m ‘old’. I have the requisite greys, that I fastidiously cover up with hair dye. I have also spent time with 21 year olds and marvelled at how young they looked and sounded. One of them asked me how old I was and when I told her I felt really old, she tried to make me feel better by saying ’37 isn’t old – 40’s old’. To be honest, she was a bit of a bitch. A young, pretty bitch. She’ll be old one day too though!

OMG! I am a dinosaur. Sob! I started noticing I was getting old…very old, very quickly, after my third child was born and I was running around three kids under 5. The cat looked down on me with despair for years. Happily, the dog was oblivious.

Hahaha. When I was a teenager I used to see those mums who sat on chairs at the park thinking they were a little lax, it wasn’t that difficult to play with your kids. Now I know that those mums sit on the bench at the park because it’s the only rest they get!

Haha, love it! I am 33 and can so relate to every word of your post. Short (check – 161cm), grey hairs (check!), incomprehension that someone born in 1995 is now 20 (really – now how old do you feel?). In fact I wrote a post under Thursday pondering in a similar train of thought.

I found my first (3!) grey hairs at age 27, and if I tried to them now, well, I wouldn’t even try….
You’re as old as you feel. I turned 40 last year and have never felt better than I do now. You look great 🙂

To me, it still feels as if the 1990s were only yesterday but it’s like two decades ago now – what the?!! Oh how I loved growing up in the 90s. Luckily there are no grey hairs here but I’m definitely ageing 🙁 I keep up with the latest music and movies as I still love it myself, plus I think you need to keep in touch with these things for your kids.

I thought I was keeping up with the latest… Until I made some friends who were in their 20s. And then I realised I was not keeping up like I thought I was! I agree with at least being aware of it all, just so you have common ground with your children and can understand what is going on in their world. My children are still very much into The Lah Lahs and The Wiggles. Now those bands I am so up with!

I like to think of it as silver rather than grey. I have a fourteen year old daughter who has no qualms at all in reminding me that I am old. Though to me 37 isn’t old, to me I haven’t even reached middle age yet! My father was a lot older than most other dads as I was growing up and he always said you are only as old as you feel so I tend to have the same attitude.

Before we got married, I visited Jeff in the States. I was 34 and he was 43. We went out to brunch with one of his best friends (woman) and the waiter thought I was their daughter!!! Yes, you can dye your eyebrows but just wait till the chin hairs start!! You don’t go anywhere without tweezers.

This resonates with me so much! I’m super short, only 150cm, and always looked young for my age! I have been greying since my 20s sadly and tried to embrace it a couple of years ago, but didn’t feel like me and dyed again!! The good thing is I still seem to pass for younger (most people are visibly shocked when I confess to being 41)… But I don’t know how long it’ll last!!! I hate discussions of age but it invariably comes up when I have to tell people I have three teenagers, and I wasn’t a mum at 12!